No one was guaranteed a nomination just because they were nominated before. Some past shoo-ins -- including "American Idol" -- were dumped from big categories to make room for splashy new shows. It was the first time "Idol" wasn't nominated, and, adding insult to injury, it lost its place to its NBC rival, "The Voice."
Emmy voters get a lot of heat for conservative choices, but that wasn't the case this year. "American Horror Story," which tied "Mad Men" for the most nominations with 17, is one of the most graphic shows on television, and part of a genre -- horror -- that rarely gets the respect it deserves. HBO's "Girls," which is filled with sex and drugs, also scored several nods.
Yes, the voters seemed to swoon a little in the presence of movie stars, including lead comedy nominee Don Cheadle, star of Showtime's "House of Lies." But movie stardom only goes so far -- two-time Oscar winner Dustin Hoffman didn't score a lead actor nod for HBO's canceled "Luck," for example.
That said, here's a look at the snubs that will have some viewers shaking their heads. We apologize to any shows we snub from the list of snubs. There's a lot of TV out there.
"American Idol": This goes down as one of the year's biggest surprises. Given the show's falling ratings and the exit of Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, it's under added pressure to revamp itself next year.
"The Good Wife": The CBS drama's exit from the Outstanding Drama Series race was bad news for the show and the broadcast networks in general: Had it been in contention again this year, it would have been the only Big 4 network series competing in the category. It did, however, snag seven other nominations, one for casting and six for acting. One went to last year's best dramatic actress, Juliana Margulies.
"Louie": The FX comedy is one of the best shows on TV. In May, we said it had a solid claim to the Emmy for best comedy. But it isn't even nominated. But lead actor/director/writer Louis C.K. can be happy about three nominations for lead acting, directing, and writing. His FX comedy special "Louis C.K.: Live at The Beacon Theatre," got an additional four nods.
"Parks and Recreation": Maybe it's better that Nick Offerman missed out on announcing the awards, as he had been scheduled to do. Heavy rain prevented him from traveling from the East Coast, so he didn't have to maintain a smile as his show was denied a second nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series. Offerman, meanwhile, didn't get a supporting actor nomination.
Hugh Laurie, "House": No obligatory dramatic actor nomination for the actor, despite his final year on the long-lasting Fox drama.
"Luck": Is it tempting fate to name your show "Luck"? This time last year, the horse track drama's Emmy odds couldn't have looked better thanks to its pedigree: Not just Hoffman but Nick Nolte on-screen, and Michael Mann and David Milch holding the reins. But the show was canceled after the deaths of three horses, and Emmy voters gave it no love.
"Community": The low-rated NBC comedy gets lots of critical praise but hasn't broken through with Emmy voters. They could have stuck it to NBC for dumping creator and showrunner Dan Harmon by giving his final season a heap of nominations. But the past Emmy winner -- for animation -- got just one, for best comedy writing.
John Slattery, "Mad Men" (Warning: Contains a big plot spoiler from last season): What's a guy got to do to get a supporting dramatic actor nod? Kill himself, apparently. That's what Jared Harris's character did last season, and Emmy voters rewarded Harris by nominating him in the category in place of repeat nominee Slattery. Slattery's character merely dropped acid and decided to end his marriage.
"Glee" and "The Office": "The Office," a past winner for Outstanding Comedy Series, didn't even get a nomination this time around. "Glee" also went without a nomination, despite getting one for its previous two seasons. "The Office" can take heart: At least it survived the exit of lead actor Steve Carell. And "Glee" creators Brad Falchuk and Ryan Murphy can be happy about the 17 nominations for their other show, "American Horror Story." (Only Emmy-magnet "Mad Men" scored so many nods.)
